Many of today's high school students feel pressure to gain admission to big name universities in order to be successful. This can stress out the hard-working "B" student with a less-than-perfect academic record who may feel that open-ended state universities and community colleges are their only options. But as detailed in the article "A+ Options for "B" Students," U.S. News and World Report's (USN&WR) Anne McGrath claims this needn't be the case. Instead of seeking a "name brand" university, students can find lesser known schools with great programs that better fit their individual needs.

Included in its America's Best Colleges 2007 edition, USN&WR lists 300 colleges and universities that meet the qualifications - caring professors, smaller classes, solid retention rates, etc... - for what they consider to be "A+ options" for the non-valedictorian. Included on the list was Andrews University. With smaller classes and a favorable student-teacher ratio, students at Andrews have professors that will remember their names, care about their success and notice when they're not showing up for class. With the help of the Student Success Center and IVue's flagging system, students are less likely to just slip through the cracks. But more than just teachers who remember names, Andrews' small size allows students big opportunities for real world experience and solid academics, whether it's doing research with a professor, presenting a paper at a national conference, or learning hands-on while exploring the world on a study tour.

Aaron Moushon, senior political science major, is an example of a student who has experienced the Andrews difference through study tours. "Study tours are culturally enhancing life experiences that are an invaluable addition to the academic experience students receive at Andrews," Aaron notes. Aaron had never been out of the country prior to his participation in the History and Political Science Department's study-tour to Cuba in 2003. Since then, he has traveled abroad and spent two years living in England.

"True universities are characterized by active research," notes Shandelle Henson, professor of mathematics. "When undergraduates participate with faculty in primary research, coauthor peer-reviewed papers, and present at meetings, they receive an experience that cannot be duplicated in either small, non-research colleges or in large universities that are driven by PhD programs. Andrews can deliver this kind of experience. We have the potential to send our graduates to the cutting-edge in their chosen fields."